Chennai, Sept: When there was a decline in Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M Karunanidhi’s health in 2017, M K Stalin was made the working president of the party in a newly created post. Now president of the DMK, Stalin, if sources are to be believed, will be given more powers in the upcoming general council meet.
”Perasiriyar (K Anbazhagan) is the general secretary of the DMK for the past many decades and Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) took key decisions only after consulting him. He was also instrumental in Thalapathy (Stalin) taking over the mantle of the party. However, lately, his health is not cooperating to look after the party affairs actively. While he (Anbazhagan) will continue to be the general secretary, some of his powers will be transferred to Stalin,” say sources in the DMK.
Pointing out to the party’s laws, they say there are provisions for the general secretary’s responsibilities to be handed over to the president if the former resigns or is unable to discharge duties.
It is learnt that a resolution in this regard will be proposed and passed at the general council.
”This will be done after getting the consent of Anbazhagan and with the support of party seniors and general council members,” add sources.
When the DMK was started by C N Annadurai after he broke away from ”Periyar” E V Ramasamy’s Dravidar Kazhagam, he was only the general secretary, as he kept the president post vacant for his mentor. However, after Anna’s demise, Karunanidhi took over the party and became its president, a post he occupied till his death last year.
Sources say the general council will pass various important resolutions and office-bearers will be urged to get ready for the local body elections and Assembly by-polls. ”Thalapathy is keen to continue the victory of the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections (in which the DMK-led alliance swept 38 out of 30 seats in Tamilnadu),” sources state.